1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic faucets and kitchens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Kitchens are sometimes furnished with automatic faucets having an automatic water discharge/cutoff function whereby a user's hand, tableware, etc. is detected by a sensor and water is automatically discharged/cutoff. Meanwhile, some of the faucets installed in kitchens have a hose pullout function that enables a user to take out the water spout from a component that retains it and to move it about freely.
The automatic water discharge/cutoff function is often controlled by a sensor (e.g. infrared sensor) provided in the vicinity of the water spout. Consequently, with automatic faucets having both automatic water discharge/cutoff functionality and hose pullout functionality, when the water spout is attached or detached the automatic water discharge unintended by a user (“erroneous water discharge” hereinafter) sometimes occurs when the sensor detects an extended hose, a hand of the user, or other objects.
Against this backdrop, an automatic faucet that halts the automatic water discharge function if the water spout has been removed, and even after the water spout is reattached, suspends the automatic water discharge function until a given period of time elapses has been proposed (reference is made to Patent Document 1, for example). Also, technology for halting the automatic water discharge function if the water spout has been removed, and if with the water spout having been reattached the sensor has detected an object, suspending the automatic water discharge function until nothing is being detected (reference is made to Patent Document 2, for example).
Patent Document 1 JP 2639268 B2
Patent Document 2 JP 2012-67486 A
With the technology of Patent Document 1, however, enhancing the reliability with which erroneous water discharge is prevented requires that the period during which automatic water discharge is suspended be made substantially long, which as a result would be deleterious to the convenience of handling the automatic faucet. What is more, with faucets in kitchens or the like, there are usages unique to kitchens such as washing dishes while water accumulates in a basin or the like. With the technology of Patent Document 1, if an object is left within the sensor's detection range, erroneous water discharge may occur after the period of suspending automatic water discharge elapses.
With the technology of Patent Document 2, in situations where immediately after a hand is once taken away from the water spout the hand is brought near it, such as when reattaching of the water spout doesn't go well, the spout is put in a dislocated state, and reattachment is retried because the sensor goes into its non-detection state for the moment, erroneous water discharge unfortunately occurs. Furthermore, in cases where the sensor is an optical sensor, when the water spout is attached in a situation where the water surface in a basin or the like is present at a position just at the detection distance, the direction of the light being reflected may vary from one moment to the next due to quivering of the water surface, leading to the sensor going into the detection state immediately after having been in the non-detection state and giving rise to erroneous water discharge.